Prior to 19th century
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- 421 CE
- According to much later traditions, the city of Venice is founded on 25 March (421), by consecration of the church of San Giacomo di Rialto, and the establishment of urban trading-posts on the islands of the Rialto. Such accounts are found in some medieval chronicles, but not accepted by modern scholars, since settlements on Rialto were fully urbanized much later and transformed into Venice proper only since the first half of the 9th century.
- First mention of Poveglia.
- 452 – Traditional date for the adoption of a "consular government" in Venice. Not accepted by modern scholars.
- 554 – The Gothic War ends with Byzantine victory. Entire Italy is again under imperial rule, and governed as the Praetorian prefecture of Italy, that includes the province of Venetia et Histria, centered in Aquileia.
- 568 – Lombards invade Italy, and conquer Aquileia. Byzantine province of Venetia is reduced to coastal regions, and its administrative center is moved to Oderzo, while ecclesiastical center is moved from Aquileia to Grado.
- 584 – The remaining Byzantine territories of the Praetorian prefecture of Italy are reorganized into the Exarchate of Ravenna, that also includes the remnants of Byzantine Venetia.
- 639 – Byzantine Venetia is governed by magister militum Mauricius.
- 697 – Traditional date for Paolo Lucio Anafesto becoming the first Doge of Venice. Such accounts are not accepted by modern scholars.
- 712 – King Liutprand (712-744) ascends the Lombard throne. During his reign, Ravenna is occupied by the Lombards for the first time, but soon recaptured by the Byzantines. The Terminatio Liutprandina regulates borders between Lombard and Byzantine possessions at Cittanova. Byzantine Venetia is governed by magister militum Marcellus.
- 726 - Byzantine emperor Leo III inaugurates iconoclastic religious policies, provoking resistance throughout Byzantine Italy, including the remnants of Byzantine Venetia. Orso Ipato is elected as doge, by traditional accounts, that are accepted in principle by modern scholars, but not in all details.
- 751 - Fall of Ravenna to the Lombards marks the end of the Exarchate of Ravenna and weakens Byzantine rule over the Venetian Lagoon.
- 774 – Catholic diocese established on Olivolo, comprising Dorsoduro, Luprio, and Rialto.
- 810 - King Pepin of Italy invades the Venetian Lagoon, but fails to capture the region.
- 812 - The Treaty of Aachen is concluded between Byzantines and Franks, and ratified by the Treaty of Ratisbon (814). Venetian and Dalmatian cities remain under Byzantine suzerainty. Rialto comes to prominence over other settlements in the Lagoon, thus gradually becoming the Venice proper, as the new seat of the doge Agnello Participazio.
- 828 – Mark the Evangelist designated patron saint of city.
- 836 – Doge's Chapel built.
- 902 – St Mark's Campanile construction begins.
- 1094 – St Mark's Basilica consecrated.
- 1097 – Market established on Rialto.
- 1116 – The settlement of Malamocco on the Lido is submerged as a result of an exceptional storm surge.
- 1131 – Church of San Clemente is the first established settlement on the Isola di San Clemente.
- 1157 – Bank established.
- 1173 – Rialto Bridge made of wood opened, designed by Nicolò Barattieri.
- 1202 – Fourth Crusade embarks from Venice.
- 1204 – After the Sack of Constantinople, various monuments and works of art are transported to Venice.
- 1228 – Fondaco dei Tedeschi built.
- 1264 – Bridge built across Grand Canal.
- 1291 – Glassmakers relocate to Murano.
- 1297 – Serrata del Maggior Consiglio: exclusion of the lower classes from power and establishment of the patrician-led aristocratic regime.
- 1310 – Tiepolo conspiracy fails to gain power
- 1333 – Botanical garden planted.
- 1348 – Plague.
- 1360 – Ponte della Paglia (bridge) built (approximate date).
- 1386 – Jewish burial ground granted on the Lido.
- 1394 – Public clock installed.
- 1423
- Lazaretto (quarantine) established on the island of Lazzaretto Vecchio.
- Francesco Foscari becomes doge.
- 1430 – Santi Giovanni e Paolo church rebuilt.
- 1447 – Scuola degli Albanesi founded.
- 1469 – Printing press in operation.
- 1475 – De honesta voluptate et valetudine cookbook published.
- 1495 – Printer Aldus Manutius in business.
- 1500 – Jacopo de' Barbari's woodcut View of Venice is published
- 1501 – Petrucci's Harmonice Musices Odhecaton (songbook) published.
- 1507 – Cinque Savi alla Mercanzia (trade board) established.
- 1514 – Fire on Rialto.
- 1516 – Jewish ghetto in Cannaregio established.
- 1520 – Palazzo dei Dieci Savi built.
- 1527 – Jacopo Sansovino "appointed public architect."
- 1541 – Sempiterni compagnie founded.
- 1548 – Population: 158,069.
- 1558 – Establishment of a permanent postal connection between Venice and Kraków, capital of the Kingdom of Poland.
- 1565 – Theatre built.
- 1569 – 13 September: Arsenal explodes.
- 1575 – Fondaco dei Turchi established.
- 1575–77 – Plague.
- 1587 – Banco della Piazza di Rialto opens.
- 1591 – Rialto Bridge built of stone.
- 1600 – Bridge of Sighs built.
- 1613 – Monteverdi becomes maestro di cappella of St Mark's Basilica.
- 1630
- 1629–1631 Italian plague strikes Venice.
- Accademia degli Incogniti founded.
- 1637 – Teatro San Cassiano (opera house) opens.
- 1642 – Premiere of Monteverdi's opera L'incoronazione di Poppea.
- 1645 – Coffee house in business.
- 1649 – Premiere of Cavalli's opera Giasone.
- 1678 – Italian Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi is born on 4 March.
- 1682 – Dogana built.
- 1706 – Population: 140,256.
- 1720 – Vezzi porcelain begins
- 1720 – Caffè Florian in business.
- 1741 – Il Nuovo Postiglione newspaper begins publication.
- 1744 – Joseph Smith becomes British consul.
- 1750 – Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia founded.
- 1755 – Teatro San Benedetto (theatre) opens.
- 1761 – Gozzi's L'Osservatore Veneto begins publication.
- 1764 – Cozzi porcelain begins
- 1778 – Notizie del mondo newspaper begins publication.
- 1785 – Population: 139,095.
- 1792 – La Fenice opera house built.
- 1797 – Fall of the Republic of Venice and establishment of the Provisional Municipality of Venice
- 1798 – Venice passes into Austrian hands.
